Google's NotebookLM now has visuals

For the visual learners, Google's NotebookLM AI research tool can now make videos. On Tuesday, Google announced the addition of Video Overviews as an alternative to its podcast-style audio format.

NotebookLM launched last year as an AI-powered teaching tool that employs one or two AI "podcast hosts" to explain topics in a conversational way, based on sources you upload to the platform. You can also generate mind map diagrams and research reports. 

Now when you use NotebookLM, you can choose to turn your sources into a visual presentation, or what Google calls "narrative slides." Users can upload various types of documents like audio files, PDFs, documents, images, and websites to the Notebook and the "AI host creates new visuals to help illustrate points while also pulling in images, diagrams, quotes and numbers from your documents," as Google described in the announcement. It's effectively an AI-generated PowerPoint presentation on the documents you upload.

Google also said you can customize the presentation based on criteria like learning goals and target audience. Video Overviews is rolling out in English today, with support for more languages coming soon.

NotebookLM is for anyone and everyone, but an obvious use case is students looking to learn about a new topic in a more engaging way. With kids going back to school soon, this is one of many education-focused AI tools and features Google has recently introduced. Also on Tuesday, Google shared several new updates to AI Mode in Search, including a new Canvas workspace for creating study guides, the ability to upload and ask questions about PDFs, and screensharing in Chrome for chatting with AI Mode about a certain webpage. 

Not to be outdone, OpenAI is also ramping up its focus on education tools, with Study Mode that turns ChatGPT into a teacher using the Socratic method. With the end of summer in sight, the message is clear: think of Google and OpenAI for homework help and more.